Miscellaneous Subjects 1921 August

The George W. P. Hunt collection contains correspondence, diaries, scrapbooks, notebooks, biographical and genealogical material, and printed matter. Although the collection ranges from 1709 to 1955, the bulk of the material concerns Hunt's political activities and personal life from 1885 to 1932. The collection has been divided into five series.

Series I: Political/Professional Correspondence dates from 1901 to 1935 and is largely concerned with Hunt's work as Governor of Arizona. The letters have been divided into broad subject categories, including Constitution/Statehood, Constitutional Convention, Government/Politics, Highway Construction, Old Dominion Commercial Co., and Prison Reform.

The Constitution/Statehood files include letters from a number of prominent individuals offering their comments and advice on the proposed Arizona Constitution produced in 1910. Correspondents include Sen. Robert M. LaFollette (1/5/11), President Woodrow Wilson (1/11/11), William Jennings Bryan (3/1/11, 3/23/11, (resp.) 3/28/11), Governor Chase Osborn of Michigan (1/19/11), and Lindley W. Keasbey of the University of Texas at Austin. Arizonans Mulford Winsor, A. F. Parsons, and Amos W. Cole are regular correspondents in these files. Of particular interest are letters from representatives of the Arizona Equal Suffrage Campaign Committee (1/27/11,8/24/11, 10/23/11) and the Kansas Equal Suffrage Association (2/16/11). A paper by Wiley E. Jones entitled Can Arizona and New Mexico be Admitted as States by Act of Congress Alone ... is included with his letter of May 12, 1911.

The Constitutional Convention files include a number of letters from Mulford Winsor and various university presidents and faculty members concerning the proposed constitution. A letter from Senator Jonathan Bourne of Oregon (12/29/10) contains particularly lucid comments on the constitution. An undated document (Box 1, Folder 10A) entitled Model Constitution of Ohio contains a number of holograph insertions and deletions.

The Government/Politics files contain a wide variety of materials extending from 1907 to 1927. These items include a number of letters of support for Hunt from Arizonans and often contain election returns and comments on political conditions in various localities. Regular correspondents include Ed Chilson, John T. Hughes, and Mulford Winsor. These files also contain a number of interesting items. Roll call slips from the 24th Territorial Legislature for House bills 2-160 are housed in Box 1, folder 3. A letter from the Arizona Cattle Growers Association (2/24/07) expresses support for retention of the Arizona Rangers. A number of letters from Francis W. Munds (1/14/12, 9/5/16, 9/10/18, 9/17/18, 11/24/18) of the Arizona Equal Suffrage Campaign Committee are included in these files. Of particular interest is a letter from Hunt to the Second Arizona Legislature (5/27/15) requesting commutation of the death sentence passed against five Mexican citizens. Telegrams from William Jennings Bryan and various Mexican officials are enclosed with the letter. Correspondence from May and June of 1916 concerns Mother Jones' visit to Arizona and her support for Hunt. A leaflet criticizing the politics of Hunt and Mother Jones entitled Some Gems of Thought by Mother Jones is located in Box 2, Folder 3. Other correspondence from John T. Hughes over the summer of 1916 discusses the establishment of a Spanish language newspaper at Tucson entitled El Combate. A letter from Hunt to the Arizona Gazette (5/25/18) refutes a recent editorial concerning Hunt's sympathy for the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW). A mob action in the Clifton-Morenci mining district in the winter of 1915-1916 is described in a letter from Norman Carmichael of Clifton (5/25/18). Hunt's reply to Carmichael is dated June 4, 1918.

The Government/Politics correspondence dating from 1923 to 1926 contains information regarding the Colorado River Controversy. A letter from W. S. Norviel (3/26/23) responds to Hunt's attack upon his work as Arizona State Water Commissioner. This letter includes transcriptions of a number of communications regarding survey work for the Boulder Canyon High Line Canal and other irrigation projects. A letter from A. G. McGregor (7/24/25) concerns funding of Colorado River projects and the Swing-Johnson Bill. A typescript of Henry S. McCluskey's speech before the Los Angeles Realty Board (9/29/25) describes plans for development of the Colorado River and criticizes the Colorado River Compact. Correspondence from 1926 includes a series of cordial letters between Hunt and Governor George H. Dern of Utah regarding Colorado River negotiations and a letter from Hunt to Henry F. Ashurst (2/3/26) concerning the testimony of witnesses before the Senate Committee on Irrigation and Reclamation. A letter from Hunt to Dwight B. Heard (5/5/26) refutes Heard's statement describing Hunt's political alliances and serves as a broad summary of the differences between Hunt and Heard positions on a number of issues.

The Highway Construction files contain some items of particular interest. A letter from Henry F. Ashurst to Hunt (5/1/13) discusses appropriations for construction of Post Roads from Holbrook to Springerville. Hunts' response is dated May 8, 1913. A letter from the State Engineer (unidentified) to the Board of Supervisors of Globe (11/29/13) describes the use of prison labor in road construction. A description of the administration of highway work (e.g. organization, funding, etc.) is provided in a letter from E. P. Adams to Sen. Dorsey W. Shackleford of Missouri (1/9/14). F. G. Twitchell's letter to the Gila County Board of Supervisors (2/1/14) contains an operations report for a road construction camp listing costs and production figures. An unsigned addendum to this report is dated March 5, 1914.

The Prison Reform files contain a number of important documents concerning Hunt's reforms in general and the capital punishment issue. Correspondence from 1912 deals with a variety of administrative matters including a number of requests for commutation of sentences. Letters written during May of 1912 concern a proposal to use the Fort Grant Military Reservation as a reformatory institution. A letter from Robert B. Sims (Superintendent, Arizona State Prison) to Hon. C. S. Potts of Austin, Texas provides details of the road work program for convicts. This letter is enclosed with a cover letter to Hunt dated November 18, 1912. Prison Reform correspondence for 1913-1914 describes Hunt reforms in a number of areas including parole of prisoners, censorship of prisoner's mail, prisoner entertainment, and capital punishment. Many of these letters were written by J. J. Sanders, who was appointed Superintendent of the Arizona State Prison in 1913.

The Miscellaneous Subjects files concern a wide variety of topics, some of which overlap with the subject files described above. A 1907 report on the status of the Territorial Asylum for the Insane is included in Box 1, Folder 2. A series of letters from Mulford Winsor in 1909 concern Winsor's possible dismissal as Arizona State Historian by Governor Sloan. A letter from Michael G. Cuniff to Hunt (12/26/11) describes Sharlot Hall's qualifications for the position of State Historian. A letter from J. J. Healey of Phoenix to Hunt (2/23/12) and a series of letters written from August to December of 1912 discuss alleged mob violence perpetrated against Healey at Parker. These documents include Healey's description of his attempts to initiate a state or federal investigation. A letter from the Acting British Consul-General at San Francisco to Hunt (4/4/13) contains additional documentation of the Healey affair. A transcript of the Grand Jury proceedings in the Healey affair is located in Box 3, Folder 23A. The use of detectives and hired men for harassing mine workers and unemployed men at Jerome is described in a letter from representatives of the Socialist Party at Bisbee, Arizona (5/31/13). Similar activities by an individual investigator known as Gila Monster or Maricopa Slim are described in a series of letters written between May and August of 1913. A letter from Mulford Winsor (1/10/14) discusses the transportation and location of elk in the Sitgreaves National Forest. A letter from Mother Jones to Hunt (1/16/20) concerns national politics and anti-Communist activities.

The Miscellaneous Subjects files for 1920 and 1921 mostly concern Hunt's activities as US Minister at Siam. Many of the letters, however, are from Hunt's personal friends and contain references to Arizona and United States politics. Regular correspondents include Mulford Winsor, Edna W. Corbett, and Thomas Coleman, a sailor assigned to the USS Helena. Coleman's letters give details of his life at sea and continue after Hunt's return from Siam. An undated report with photographs on the Chiengmai Leper Asylum is located in Box 2, Folder 24. An important letter from Arthur P. Davis of the US Department of the Interior (2/13/23) includes a preliminary report on sites for Glen Canyon Dam and compares them with sites in Boulder Canyon. An undated letter from Hunt to Senator Marcus A. Smith describes Alan B. Jayne's attempt to block Hunt's confirmation as Minister to Siam on the grounds of sympathy with the IWW.

The Capital Punishment letterbook at the end of this series contains correspondence from Arizona citizens for and against executions. An index to the letterbook lists the city of residence of each correspondent.

Series II: Personal Papers is comprised of correspondence, biographical and genealogical documents, bills and receipts, and printed matter. Genealogical material includes research notes and correspondence as well as Hunt's application for membership in the Sons of the American Revolution. The Miscellaneous Family Documents are comprised of bills, receipts, correspondence, and estate papers mostly relating to the Christian family of Kentucky.

The correspondence in this series is composed of letters from family and friends. Letters written from 1879 to 1892 are mostly those received by Hunt from his mother and friends from Globe. Letters from Hunt's mother (Sarah E. Hunt) generally concern the health and activities of family members. Correspondence from friends usually discusses news of Globe and activities of past and present citizens of Globe. After 1892 the correspondence is dominated by letters from Duett Ellison, who married Hunt in 1904. These letters generally concern family affairs and news of friends and acquaintances, but political affairs are occasionally addressed as well. As Hunt advanced in his political career the correspondence from his friends became more politically oriented. As a result, many letters from friends touch upon political issues during Hunt's tenure as Governor.

A number of interesting items are included in the personal correspondence. A poem entitled In Honor of the Democratic Candidates of Gila County and a political cartoon depicting the state of Arizona sinking into a tureen of Democratic soup (11/9/92) are located in Box 5, Folder 3. A letter from William M. Griffith (US Marshall) to Hunt (10/16/97) indicates that Hunt was subpoenaed to testify in an unidentified case on behalf of the Govt. before the U.S. Court. Hunt's self-portrait is enclosed with his letter to Duett Ellison of August 26, 1906. A letter from Sharlot Hall (6/5/08) concerns locations of the graves of Arizona pioneers and the state of historical collections in Arizona. A letter from Frances W. Munds (Arizona Equal Suffrage Campaign Committee) to Hunt (7/21/10) regards his candidacy for the Constitutional Convention delegation and his position on equal suffrage. Letters to Duett Hunt during the convention provide a sense of the atmosphere of the proceedings. Hunt's letter to Duett of August 2, 1912 describes his journey with a road crew from the State Prison at Florence to the construction site near Globe. Another letter to Duett (8/20/12) describes an epidemic of an unidentified disease resulting in infantile paralysis and includes a copy of the State Quarantine Orders. A letter from Leroy A. Ladd (Hunt's Secretary) to Duett Hunt (8/4/13) describes a national survey of governor's wives and includes a copy of Duett's response to the survey.

Series III: Notebooks, Scrap, and Published Materials contains information regarding Hunt's political career and his private life. Poems of Sarah Elizabeth Yates Hunt is a privately published compilation of poetry by Hunt's mother. The volume includes a memorial to Mrs. Hunt by her sister Virginia Yates McCanne and a photograph of Mrs. Hunt and her two sons taken in 1865.

The 1898-1932 Notebook contains political, biographical, and genealogical newsclippings. The 1915 Notebook contains a list of Arizona representatives at the US Navy Yard in Brooklyn, New York for the christening of the battleship USS Arizona. The Holbrook-St. John's Highway Notebook contains compilations of elevations taken along the route.

Miscellaneous Memo Books consist of five volumes containing a wide variety of subjects. The 1911-1914 volume contains names of Hunt's acquaintances listed alphabetically by city and by last name under each city. The 1914-1919 volume includes poetry, personal health notes, a photograph of Duett and Virginia Hunt (1914) and a list of Colorado River Commission members. The 1918-1919 volume includes additional health notes. The 1923-1932 volume contains notes on Duett's final illness and records of her funeral costs.

Peace Upon the Earth is a signed carbon typescript of E. S. Yamamoto's essay. The 1915-1932 Notebook includes a list of Hunt's acquaintances and personal notes on those that impressed him. The volume also includes personal financial notes and lists of gifts given to friends.

The balance of the notebooks in this collection provide information on a number of subjects. The Addresses notebook (Box 10, Folder 5) includes a list of friends in the 1st Arizona Regiment (1916), a list of visitors taken to Florence Prison (1913-1916), and 1914 and 1916 election results compiled by county and then by precinct. The Miscellaneous Government/Personal notebook (Box 10, Folder 6) contains information on distribution of pheasants, turkey propagation, and a register of plants (1919-1924) probably acquired for the Hunt residence. The notebooks housed in Boxes 11-12 relate to a wide variety of personal and political topics. The notebooks described as Personal Matter contain private correspondence and public speeches mostly relating to Arizona politics and government. Many of these notebooks were indexed. Of particular interest is the 1914 letter from Hunt to Wiley E. Jones (Arizona Attorney General) deferring the executions of Eduardo Perez, N. B. Chavez and Francisco Rodriquez (Box 12, Folder 2, pp. 133-135). A letter from Hunt to Newton D. Baker (US Secretary of War) concerns the need for federal troops in the Globe-Miami, Ray, and Ajo mining districts (Box 12, Folder 5).

The Newsclippings and Scrapbooks in this series are almost entirely associated with Hunt's political career. The Constitutional Convention scrapbook is comprised of printed petitions and propositions to the convention with some brief holograph notes. The 1882-1905 ledger (Box 16, Folder 3) consists of personal accounts and some Globe Hospital Association records. The Globe Hospital Association Record Book lists patients admitted and released and elected officers.

The Miscellaneous Publications consist of political pamphlets and printed editions of various speeches and statements concerning the Colorado River controversy, capital punishment, and prison reform. Of particular interest is a copy of the Standing Rules of the Arizona Constitutional Convention (Box 17, Folder 2) and a copy of J. J. Sanders' pamphlet Prisoner's Mail (Box 19, Folder 1A).

The President's Mediation Commission Testimony is a transcript of the testimony of various witnesses on the mining strike at Globe in 1917. The Compiled Messages of the ... Governors of Arizona is a two-volume set of typescripts and published documents compiled by Henry S. McCluskey.

Series IV: Diaries includes the original volumes produced by Hunt and transcripts of the material. Access to the original volumes has been restricted in order to preserve the material. Transcripts are available for diaries written between 1913 and 1934. The diaries provide a glimpse of Hunt's daily activities and insight into Hunt's character. His personal views on political events and acquaintances are recorded in brief and candid statements. Diaries written while Hunt served in Siam generally concern Hunt's work as US Consul and provide little information on political affairs in Arizona during his absence.

Series V: Memorabilia is comprised of empty notebooks, wallets, pins and buttons, a desk calendar (1932), a wooden curio box, and business cards.